Sahara X3 System provides consistant color

by Jon M. Casey
H&H General Excavating, Inc. found themselves needing a way to color ground wood mulch products in a consistant way in order to satisfy their customers who were looking for colored products, that matched from season to season and from batch to batch. This was especially true for customers shopping for bagged mulch products.
Since H&H had previously been coloring their mulch with a homemade color batching system, they knew that they needed a commercial system developed and perfected specifically to do a consistant job while at the same time, using colorants that were long lasting and consistant from year to year. With that as the goal, they recently took delivery of a Sahara® X3 coloring system from Colorbiotics.
“We took delivery on this new system in February 2013,” said Mike Hershey, who oversees the mulch operations for H&H. “We needed a reliable system that could keep up with the demands that we have for volume. This unit will do upwards of 300-cubic-yards of mulch per hour. We routinely run between 250 and 300 yards per hour. Right now, we are coloring black mulch.”
Hershey said that while their home made coloring system worked well, it was not able to meet their current needs. Because of the limits that it had with mixing and metering of colorant, and because the system was on in years, it was ready to be replaced. He said they wanted a system that was simple to operate and designed for the kind of production rates that H&H required. With the Sahara X3, they can color mulch just about as fast as Mick Mummert, their loader operator, can keep it filled with uncolored mulch. The colorant comes in easily transportable totes that they purchase in truckload quantities.
Mummert, who is responsible for the daily operation of the colorant system, is able to operate the Sahara X3 remotely, from the cab of his 966H loader. “Mick does a great job for us,” said Hershey. “He is able to keep us supplied with whichever color product we need. The new unit has run flawlessly, and we are extremely pleased with it.”
According to Colorbiotics, the Sahara system uses true atomizing technology. The Sahara requires up to 50 percent less water and minimal colorant to produce the industry’s highest quality and lowest cost colored mulch. The patented Sahara system is loaded with features designed to increase profitability and reduce drying time along with other challenges such as mold, faded looking mulch and wash off.
The Sahara boasts the most aggressive mixing chamber in the industry. That ensures maximum surface to colorant exposure. It’s built to last long under extreme duty, and its fully automated control panel makes it a one person operation.
Colorbiotics says that the Sahara X Series is the most efficient mulch coloring system in the world. It delivers perfectly colored mulch with much less water and colorant, so producers can bag and ship product immediately after coloring. The H&H Sahara X3 unit is powered by three phase electricity which makes it an ideal fit as a complimentary tool to go with their new Diamond Z electric grinder. For more information on the Sahara X System or Colorbiotics colorant products, visit them online at www.colorbiotics.com.